Michigan at the Millennium

Summary

Note: This project was active at CLOSUP from 2004 to 2007, though the resulting book remains available. The information below is for archival purposes.

Over the past two decades, Michigan has witnessed what can only be considered a massive restructuring of its economic, social, natural, fiscal, and public policy environments. Relative to other sectors, reliance on automotive and other heavy manufacturing has declined substantially, replaced by impressive growth in the high tech and service sectors. Employment in agriculture has declined but productivity in that sector has increased. Michigan's population has aged and declined in numbers relative to many other states; its workforce is now much less unionized and less dependent on welfare than it was in the early 1980s. Michigan's inner cities have lost population, its outer-ring suburbs have mushroomed, and its development of once-pristine land has fast outpaced population growth. The state's system of school finance has been radically restructured, and its ability to tax and spend greatly constrained. 

To assess these and other recent changes, editors from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University have commissioned over 30 chapters by researchers across the state on numerous aspects of Michigan's economy, population, natural environment, fiscal structure, and public policies. The chapters document statistical trends from a wide range of data sources and provide scholarly interpretations of these trends and evaluations of their importance for the state. Where applicable, some also report comparisons with other states and the nation, and contain in-depth analyses of cities and regions within Michigan. Michigan State University Press has published these chapters in a volume titled Michigan at the Millennium: A Benchmark and Analysis of Its Fiscal and Economic Structure. As its 1982 predecessor (commonly known as the Brazer Report) proved to be, this volume is intended to be an important resource for policy makers, analysts, researchers, and the public who require precise and detailed information about Michigan's economic, social, natural, fiscal, and public policy structure.